An Event Ignored
Cricket first appeared at the Asian Games in the 2010 edition in Guangzhou, China, followed by the 2014 games in Incheon, South Korea. Despite the sport's immense popularity in the country, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) opted not to
send a men's or women's team to either of these tournaments. The primary reason cited was the packed international calendar and prior commitments, which made it difficult to free up players for the multi-sport event. As a result, the first two editions of Asian Games cricket saw other nations take the top honours; Bangladesh won the men's gold in 2010, and Sri Lanka claimed it in 2014.
A Change of Heart
After being dropped from the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, cricket returned for the 2022 edition in Hangzhou, China (held in 2023 due to the pandemic). This time, the BCCI had a change of heart, announcing that it would field both men's and women's teams for the first time. The decision was seen as a significant shift, aligning with the government's interest in participating in major multi-sport events and cricket's own push for inclusion in the Olympics. However, with the ODI World Cup scheduled to overlap with the Asian Games, it was clear that India's top-tier players would not be available. The BCCI therefore decided to send a second-string men's side, full of promising young talent and IPL performers.
The Golden Debut
India's men's team finally made its much-anticipated Asian Games debut in Hangzhou. The team was captained by Ruturaj Gaikwad and featured a host of rising stars like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, and Ravi Bishnoi. As a top-seeded team, India entered the T20 tournament directly at the quarter-final stage. Their campaign began with a victory over Nepal, a match where Yashasvi Jaiswal scored the first-ever T20I century by an Indian at the Asian Games. After defeating Bangladesh in the semi-final, India faced Afghanistan in the gold medal match.
A Rain-Soaked Victory
The final was an anticlimactic but ultimately successful end to India's campaign. Afghanistan batted first and reached 112/5 in 18.2 overs before persistent rain forced the match to be abandoned. With no result possible, the gold medal was awarded to India based on their higher seeding in the tournament. This unique conclusion meant that India won the gold medal in their very first appearance in men's cricket at the Asian Games, finishing the tournament undefeated. Afghanistan, meanwhile, collected their third consecutive silver medal.
